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SBA Awards $300K in Grants to Company Entrepreneurship Training for Women Veterans, Military Spouses; Larry Stubblefield Quoted
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SBA Awards $300K in Grants to Company Entrepreneurship Training for Women Veterans, Military Spouses; Larry Stubblefield Quoted
Larry Stubblefield
Larry Stubblefield

The  U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today awarded $300 thousand in grants to three organizations that will offer entrepreneurship training to women service members, veterans and military spouses, the company reported on Thursday. 

"Women veterans represent a fast-growing segment of the veteran population. As this number grows, so has the number of women veterans who continue to serve their country by becoming small business owners," said Larry Stubblefield, Associate Administrator for SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development.

The administration’s funding will be granted through SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development. It will support the selected organizations’ entrepreneurial programs for women who serve in our military and veteran communities. 

The awardees were chosen based on the organizations’ demonstrated commitment to provide training programs and resources to women. One of the awarded companies, Lift Fund, was awarded $75 thousand of the grants. Lift Fund is a non-profit organization that has supported small business owners with limited access to capital. 

The Women Veteran Entrepreneurship Program offers in-person and online training opportunities, as well as one-on-one advising for women veterans, transitioning service members, active duty military and spouses who are aspiring or currently operating small businesses in Texas.   

ONABEN: Beyond the Boots: A Veteran and Service Member Initiative was also awarded $75 thousand. ONABEN is a non-profit organization that delivers economic and entrepreneurial development services to the Native American business community. 

The organization has provided entrepreneurial training services to support the growth of women veterans, service members, as well as women spouses of military personnel in Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas through coaching, webcasts, and training. 

The program will provide women veterans with the resources to grow in business, explore the importance of social entrepreneurship to build stronger communities and economies, and overcome the challenges of small business through culturally appropriate capacity building, peer coaching, and entrepreneurial activities.

Securing the largest grant, Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University: Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) was awarded $150 thousand from the SBA.

The V-WISE program is an intensive three-phase program containing a 15-day online preparatory course, a three-day residency program, and post-training technical support. The program empowers women veterans and military spouses to find passion and learn the business savvy skills necessary to turn an idea or start-up into a growing venture.

"As women veterans, service members, and spouses continue to contribute greatly to our economy, we are eager to fund organizations that will support them through their entrepreneurial journey and set them up for success," added Stubblefield.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations.

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3M Secures 2 Contacts from DoD to Expand N95 Respirator Development During COVID-19 Pandemic; Mike Roman Quoted
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3M Secures 2 Contacts from DoD to Expand N95 Respirator Development During COVID-19 Pandemic; Mike Roman Quoted
3M Secures 2 Contacts from DoD to Expand N95 Respirator Development During COVID-19 Pandemic; Mike Roman Quoted

3M has been awarded two contracts through the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to further develop U.S. production of N95 respirators in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the company reported on Friday.

“Being selected for these contracts will allow us to increase our manufacturing capability even more. We thank the Trump Administration and the Department of Defense for their close collaboration on this effort and share their goal of protecting the American public,” said Mike Roman, 3M chairman of the board and chief executive officer. 

In Jan. 2020, 3M expanded its production of respirators and doubled its global output to 1.1 billion per year, including 35 million N95 respirators per month in the U.S. With the contracts, 3M to make another 39 million respirators per month in the U.S. 

An additional investment already underway by 3M will add another 22 million respirators per month to that output, nearly tripling the company’s total production of N95 respirators to more than 95 million per month in the U.S. The contracts have been awarded through a collaboration under the Defense Production Act.

3M has invested over $80 million in the production of N95 respirators since the outbreak began. The investments and actions, along with these contracts, will enable the company to nearly double its current capacity again to 2 billion respirators globally by the end of the year.

The increase in production will be made possible by the addition of new equipment that manufactures N95 respirators. The construction of that equipment has begun in Wisconsin where initial production of the respirators will start in June. 

The equipment will eventually be relocated to a new expansion at 3M’s facility in Aberdeen, South Dakota. 3M’s Aberdeen plant has been a key part of the company’s U.S. manufacturing strategy of personal protective equipment for decades and throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.

“3M is working around the clock to get much-needed personal protective equipment to the nation’s frontline healthcare workers,” added Roman. 

About 3M

At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily. With $32 billion in sales, our 96,000 employees connect with customers all around the world. 

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KBR Joins Multi-Million Dollar NTSP Framework to Support UK Nuclear, Defense Infrastructure; Andrew Barrie, Charles Hoskins Quoted
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KBR Joins Multi-Million Dollar NTSP Framework to Support UK Nuclear, Defense Infrastructure; Andrew Barrie, Charles Hoskins Quoted

KBR Joins Multi-Million Dollar NTSP Framework to Support UK Nuclear, Defense Infrastructure; Andrew Barrie, Charles Hoskins Quoted

KBR has announced that the company has reinforced its growing presence in the UK Nuclear and Defence Infrastructure sectors after being selected to join a seven-year, multi-million dollar delivery framework, the company reported on Friday. The framework is valued between $295 million and $470 million to support DIO and includes the option of a three year extension.

“We will drive positive innovation and change through working collaboratively to support the Clyde Infrastructure Programme. Combining our Government, Defence and cross industry experience, digital capability and respected program management capabilities to provide innovative solutions for the wide ranging projects ahead at this strategically important Royal Navy base,” said Andrew Barrie, KBR President, Government Solutions EMEA.

KBR has partnered with Assystem and Doosan Babcock, and has been operated under the name of KAD Nuclear, were one of three suppliers selected by the Defence Infrastructure Organization (DIO) to join the new Nuclear Technical Support Provider (NTSP) framework.

“This is a fantastic achievement – one that highlights our dedication to a truly collaborative approach and enhances our position within the UK defence and nuclear sectors,” added Barrie.

NTSP will deliver engineering and project management services for the naval base infrastructure upgrade and specialist nuclear technical services to the Navy Command and other UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) organizations.

The framework will also support the Clyde Infrastructure Programme (CIP) and wider Royal Navy and defence requirements. NTSP will focus on delivering the refurbishment and upgrade of critical infrastructure at Her Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde.

Charles Hoskins, DIO’s Clyde Infrastructure Programme Director, said: “The NTSP is vitally important to the delivery of our major infrastructure programme and wider operations at HMNB Clyde. The expertise and collaborative approach from our new partners will be crucial to our success as we move forward into the exciting and challenging next chapter of our programme.”

About KBR, Inc.

KBR is a global provider of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program lifecycle within the Government Solutions and Energy sectors. KBR employs approximately 37,000 people worldwide (including our joint ventures), with customers in more than 80 countries, and operations in 40 countries, across three synergistic global businesses: Government Solutions, Technology Solutions, Energy Solutions.

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GSA Partners with FDA in CoE Initiative to Strengthen Work Culture, Tech Modernization; Anil Cheriyan, Vid Desai Quoted
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GSA Partners with FDA in CoE Initiative to Strengthen Work Culture, Tech Modernization; Anil Cheriyan, Vid Desai Quoted
Anil Cheriyan
Anil Cheriyan

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is entering into a partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of GSA’s Centers of Excellence (CoE) initiative, housed within GSA's Technology Transformation Services (TTS) office, the agency announced on Thursday. 

“The Centers of Excellence is partnering with the FDA to support its IT community and accelerate the modernization of core capabilities,” said TTS director Anil Cheriyan. “We’re bringing the best talent from within the federal government and the private sector together to collaborate and drive the next generation of customer-centric results at OIMT.”

Under the people-centered partnership, the CoE and FDA’s Office of Information Management and Technology (OIMT) will strengthen its employee engagement to drive the FDA’s technology modernization efforts. The initiative will support the workforce’s adoption and delivery of new technologies and processes to directly assist the FDA’s broad regulatory responsibilities.

GSA’s CoE, within the agency’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), will accelerate IT modernization at federal agencies by leveraging private sector innovation and government services while centralizing best practices and expertise for holistic transformation. 

TTS helps agencies make their services more accessible, efficient, and effective with modern applications, platforms, processes, personnel and software solutions. The FDA is the latest agency to partner with GSA and apply the CoE approach to modernization. 

Within the CoE, the GSA has partnered with the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of Personnel Management, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), among many others.

“The FDA’s OIMT is responsible for the technical infrastructure of the agency,” said FDA Chief Technology Officer Vid Desai. “OIMT enables us to support public health by providing critical technology to all of our offices and centers. When we put our workforce first we know they’ll be better equipped to meet the challenges of the FDA’s diverse mission by enabling a modern organization, strategies, and infrastructure.”

The GSA CoE’s partnership with JAIC announced new innovations to leverage data as a strategic asset and advance AI across the DoD, through the Centers of Excellence (CoE) collaboration in Feb. 2020.

This next step paves the way for the DoD to improve how we manage and leverage data as a strategic asset," said Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient. "We appreciate the CoE's commitment to creating a collaborative environment that enables solutions for broader AI governance, technology acquisition strategies, and scaling AI solutions through the Joint Common Foundation."

JAIC stakeholders and CoE members have engaged in a series of human-centered design workshops to determine essential roles and responsibilities for managing data assets. The determination will shape a flexible governance framework to manage data holdings, including cybersecurity, healthcare, predictive maintenance and business automation.

Through implementing governance tailored specifically to AI initiatives, the partnership has created an innovative AI stance. The system integrates flexibility and interoperability of an enterprise-wide Joint Common Foundation expedite AI capabilities. 

About GSA

The mission of the U.S. General Services Administration is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across the government. One of GSA’s four strategic goals is to improve the way agencies buy, build and use technology.

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DHS S&T Helps Other Department Teams Implement Awareness Tool
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DHS S&T Helps Other Department Teams Implement Awareness Tool
DHS S&T Helps Other Department Teams Implement Awareness Tool

The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate has engaged with other DHS components to help them implement the Team Awareness Kit, a digital tool designed to facilitate response team coordination.

Public safety teams may use TAK to simplify day-to-day activities, communicate and observe tactical awareness, DHS said Tuesday.

S&T helped other DHS teams modify TAK to suit their unique needs and fully deploy the tool enterprisewide. Air Force Research Laboratory originally developed TAK.

The kit features server and client components that would run on an organization's existing hardware. TAK cost models would depend on an organization's equipment.

DHS also offers an S&T-funded interactive guide for U.S. Border Patrol agents using TAK. Agents may access both TAK and the guide via mobile devices.

“The guide will also allow more well-versed TAK users to expand their knowledge of the tool as their comfort level increases," said Shawn McDonald, program manager at S&T.

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Air Mobility Command Releases Update for Mobility Allocation System
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Air Mobility Command Releases Update for Mobility Allocation System
Air Mobility Command Releases Update for Mobility Allocation System

The Air Mobility Command updated a scheduling tool designed to help operational planners designate mobility aircraft and aircrews for several months.

Developed in partnership with Pivotal Software and the Air Force Operational Energy office, the Magellan mobility allocation system enables users to view information on aircraft location and crew availability and adjust to last-minute scheduling changes, the U.S. Air Force said Wednesday.

The application's recent update allows Magellan to automatically update and synchronize crew and aircraft data in a move to lower the time spent on coordinating allocation cycles.

A team of fifteen airmen received software engineering training from Pivotal Software to complete Magellan's development in 2019.

“The software will alert you if there are too many tasks for each day and you need to adjust crew or [aircraft,]" said Dane Hansen, project manager for Magellan.

Magellan currently has around 200 users worldwide and is slated to handle classified data in June.

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David Shive Talks GSA Digitization Efforts Amid Telework Operations
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David Shive Talks GSA Digitization Efforts Amid Telework Operations
David Shive
David Shive

David Shive, chief information officer of the General Services Administration (GSA), has said that the agency experienced minimal disruptions even as 90 percent of its workforce have implemented a telework setup, FedScoop reported Wednesday.

Shive told the publication in an interview that GSA is a “largely mobile-enabled organization” and that current telework needs “didn’t require too much change” from the agency.

“We did some stress-testing beforehand just to make sure that all of our infrastructure was going to work well, that employees were trained who are not often teleworkers and did a little bit of tuning kind of around the edges,” he said. “But it really wasn’t a lot different.”

Shive added that GSA has been working to further develop its efforts to digitize its analog procedures including records management, signatures software and collaborative applications.

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Jim Bridenstine: NASA Must Bolster National Strategy, International Partnerships for Artemis
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Jim Bridenstine: NASA Must Bolster National Strategy, International Partnerships for Artemis
Jim Bridenstine
Jim Bridenstine

Jim Bridenstine, the administrator of NASA and 2019 Wash100 Award recipient, said he intends to implement common safety standards across all participants, including foreign entities, of the Artemis program, Space News reported Wednesday.

He announced this intention as part of a larger national strategy effort at a webinar with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. His statement on national strategy stems from Congress' concerns with NASA's space exploration progress.

“From a strategic perspective, we need to be engaged with our interagency partners and with our international partners in a very robust way," Bridenstine said.

The administrator said he wishes for Artemis to gain the support of existing partners on the International Space Station, in addition to Japan, Europe and Canada, the report noted.

The Artemis program aims to revive manned exploration on the Moon, and then begin sending astronauts to Mars.

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Lisa Gordon-Hagerty: NNSA to Continue Producing Plutonium for Nuclear Arsenal
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Lisa Gordon-Hagerty: NNSA to Continue Producing Plutonium for Nuclear Arsenal
Lisa Gordon-Hagerty
Lisa Gordon-Hagerty

Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), said the agency intends to “press forward” with producing plutonium cores that serve as key elements of U.S. nuclear weapons, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Gordon-Hagerty wrote in a letter to Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., stating that the Department of Energy (DoE) component is working with a contractor to establish health precautions at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico as production continues amidst the pandemic.

NNSA intends to facilitate plutonium pit production in Los Alamos as well as the Savannah River Site in South Carolina through 2030. In a March 4 written testimony to the House Appropriations Committee, Gordon-Hagerty said that NNSA is “undertaking a risk informed, complex, and time-constrained” effort to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

She noted that the NNSA is the only organization that can help fulfill the Trump administration’s goals of sustaining the nation’s nuclear stockpile including U.S. Navy’s submarines and aircraft carriers.

“The U.S. nuclear deterrent is the foundation of our national defense and its credibility serves as the ultimate insurance policy against a nuclear attack,” said Gordon-Hagerty. “While the ultimate goal of eliminating nuclear weapons has been an aspiration for generations, we must recognize the reality of today’s evolving and uncertain international security environment.” 

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Maj. Gen. Dennis Crall Nominated as Joint Staff CIO, Director
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Maj. Gen. Dennis Crall Nominated as Joint Staff CIO, Director
Dennis Crall
Dennis Crall

President Trump has nominated Maj. Gen. Dennis Crall to assume the roles of chief information officer and director for command, control, communications, and computers at Joint Chiefs of Staff. At present, Crall serves as senior military adviser to the undersecretary of cyber policy at the Department of Defense (DoD), DoD said Wednesday.

Prior to his current role, Crall worked as the joint liaison officer to the 7th Air Force's 607th Air Support Operations Group in Korea. He also served at the U.S. Marine Corps Recruiting Command as operations officer.

Crall performed 34 combat missions and held various roles during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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